21 June, 2017

The notion
of “the privacy of your own home” may be becoming a thing of the
past. Cheap software has reportedly spread in the Chinese Internet,
allowing web-connected cameras and home surveillance devices to be
infiltrated.

Virtually
anyone can buy the hacking software for just 188 yuan ($28) with an
attached list of IP addresses and a manual on how to use the malware,
China’s CCTV broadcaster reported after conducting an
investigation. The malware scans for internet-connected webcams,
giving its buyers easy access to them.

The tool has
recently spread in Chinese online chat rooms such as QQ Messenger,
along with usernames and passwords to affected devices, CCTV
reported.

Lists of up
to 200 to 400 compromised cameras and login credentials are given
away each day, and are downloaded by hundreds of people, according to
the Chinese media outlet.

Those with
webcams and other easily hackable camera devices are advised to
change their passwords immediately and often, as a safety precaution.

CCTV traffic
monitoring cameras as well as other cameras in the city can be also
hacked if their passwords are not safe enough, cybersecurity experts
warned, as cited by South China Morning Post. Those who exploit these
gaps in security to invade personal space can be sentenced to up to
three years in prison in China, the newspaper added.

Hijacked
webcams have long been a cybersecurity concern, particularly after
analysts concluded that massive DDoS attacks in October 2016 were the
result of smart devices – including webcams and thermostats –
being infiltrated to carry out the attacks. More than 80 popular
websites were affected, including PayPal, Reddit, Amazon, Spotify,
and Twitter.

Webcam
hacking even seems to be cause for concern for Facebook CEO Mark
Zuckerberg. A sharp-eyed Twitter user noticed in June 2016 that a
photo posted online by Zuckerberg showed his laptop in the
background, with tape over the camera and microphone.